


Why Is Chaser Lurking

by aquabluejay



Category: Kamen Rider Drive
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-08-10 22:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7863397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquabluejay/pseuds/aquabluejay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Chase, what are you doing in here?" Shinnosuke sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Suply Closet

Kyu’s high, embarrassingly girlish shriek echoes into the Special Investigation Unit office. He’d stepped out, just moments before, saying that his printer was out of paper and he was going to grab more. Shinnosuke is out the office door a heartbeat after the scream cuts off. The supply closet is just down the hall, and it takes only moment for Shinnosuke to cover the distance. the door stands open and Shinnosuke skids to a stop against the frame.

Inside, Kyu is clutching a ream of paper to his chest and clearly catching his breath. Chase is standing to the side of the door, looking faintly concerned, though it takes a practiced eye to tell.

“Are you alright?” Shinnosuke asks, laying a steadying hand on Kyu’s shoulder. The shorter man nods, somewhat embarrassed.

“I apologize for startling you. It was not my intention to do so,” Chase says levely. The apology is acknowledged with a nervous nod from Kyu and Shinnosuke ushers him out into the hall with his paper and gently chiding instructions to get back to work. Kiriko arrives at the door with Mr. Belt in hand. Shinnosuke waves her off. She looks curiously in at Chase but heads back to the office after Kyu without argument.

"Chase, what are you doing in here?" Shinnosuke sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I was not required."

"What?" Shinnosuke furrows his brow and looks around at the small space. Why would Chase be in the supply closet?

"Was I incorrect? Do you require my assistance?" the Roidmude inquires?

"No, no... But why are you in the supply closet?" Chase looks confused by the question, tilting his head and peering up at Shinnosuke, trying to understand what the man wants.

"My presence was not required," he repeats. "This location is out of the way. I did not believe it would be a problem.” When Shinnosuke continues to look uncomprehending, Chase elaborates, “I … do not have anywhere else to be.”

"Out of the- ? ... Oh," Shinnosuke cuts himself off as he finally gets it. 

Shinnosuke's stomach twists guiltily as he realizes how negligent he - all of them - have been. Damn it. How do they keep doing this? They've already had the "nobody asked me" moment in the office twice this week.

It's been weeks since Chase started fighting alongside Drive and Mach as Kamen Rider Chaser - and in that time, Shinnosuke realizes, none of them have asked after him. Except when they've needed him, of course. They've been busy fighting and working cases, sure, but not that busy. There were plenty of moments it could have come up. It never did.

The Special Crimes Division is like a family, they all look after eachother - but who's been looking after Chase? Heart calls all the Roidmudes his friends, but Chase was clearly special to him, a part of his inner circle - he relied on Chase, and surely it worked the other way around. Chase has lost all that in coming over to their side. It occurs then to Shinnosuke that has no idea how Chase feels about leaving Heart. He's never asked.

“Have you been here the entire time… When you aren’t fighting or with us?

“I often shadow you on cases, in case the situation requires backup. At night I usually patrol the area, to ensure that the Pit is secure,” Chase reports mater of factly. Shinnosuke knows he needs be more direct, even though he has the unpleasant sense that he already knows the answer.

“Chase… Where are you staying?”

“Staying?” now Chase’s brow furrows, infinitesimally.

“Where do you go go when you’re not here?” Chase’s head tilts again as he considers before answering.

“I have remained nearby in event I am required. I have endeavored to remain out of the way otherwise.” Chase is only further confused by the stricken look on Shinnosuke’s face at his answer. “I can find an alternative location to store myself elsewhere on the premises, if there is a problem.” Chase tries.

For the first time Shinnosuke fully registers where Chase is standing. If the Roidmude takes two steps backwards, his shoulders will fit neatly against an empty section of wall, between the door and a set of shelves.

Do Roidmudes need to sleep? Shinnosuke vaguely recalls Krim mentioning some kind of recharging cycle, but nothing about how often or how deep…? Do they dream? Shinnosuke realizes he doesn't even know, and shame settles heavily in his guilt-twisted stomach. 

“Well... You’re not paper and staples, so you don’t really belong in here.” Shinnosuke tries for humor, offering a weak smile. All of this is lost on Chase, who merely nods as though Shinnosuke has made a valid point, and walks out the door. Shinnosuke is surprised by Chase’s abrupt departure, but hurries to catch up with him in the hall. He grabs the Roidmude’s shoulder, turning him to face him.

“If you’re here all the time, why keep to yourself? Why don’t you come into the office more?” Chase looks apprehensive.

“Professor Steinbelt did not wish for me to be ‘underfoot’ while he worked.” What is obviously a direct quote is denoted in Chase’s speech, by a tiny, considering pause bracketing the word. Shinnosuke is occasionally frustrated with Krim, usually because of his secretive nature or his insistence that he always knows what’s right, but he considers him a friend.. Just now he wishes the man still had a human body so that he could grab him by the lapels and shake him.

Shinnosuke takes a deep breath and prioritises.

It’d be rude to be so blunt about this with anyone else, but it seems best to be direct with Chase, so Shinnosuke cuts right to the chase- no pun intended.

“Chase, you shouldn’t be standing around in the supply closet by yourself - and it’s not because that’s a problem for us - it’s because you’re not a thing, Chase. If we had known - no, we should have asked you before where you were staying...Look, I want you to come home with me tonight. I know humans are confusing, and this probably seems weird to you Chase, but just trust me on this alright?

“If you deem it so important, I will comply.”

Shinnosuke is slightly taken aback by how easily Chase agrees. He’s grown to used to Gou and Kiriko’s stubbornness.

“...Oh...OK then. Tomorrow I’ll drive us back and … And you can help us out with some cases. Having a fresh set of eyes go over the evidence would be helpful… if you want to, of course…” Shinnosuke receives another, birdlike head tilt of confusion, but it’s followed by a decisive nod, and Chase walks away, because it’s decided, and the conversation is over, and honestly he’s not sure why he’s still standing there, rubbing the back of his neck.


	2. Epilogues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple short tags to this story.

The next morning, mind fogged with sleep, Shinnosuke utterly forgets that he brought Chase home. He gets up and shuffles around the apartment making coffee in nothing but socks and boxers. He’s got his coffee mug in one hand and is absently scratching his ass with the other when he finally heads towards to the couch to sit and caffeinate himself. Except Chase is on his couch, posture perfect, watching him intently.

Shinnosuke is so flustered that after he puts on his robe he ends up making Chase a cup of coffee and handing it to him before he realizes that the Roidmude probably doesn't have much use for it - which leads to more embarrassment. However, Chase is curious about the substance called Coffee that his human friends require to function, and declines to return it. He cradles it close to himself, examining its smell and appearance, and experiencing the warmth it radiates.

\-----

Some days, when the fighting has been particularly hard, or the revelations particularly unnerving, Shinnosuke finds Chase sitting in the bottom of the shower with the curtain closed. Shinnosuke learns quickly to check there before he goes to bathe or relieve himself. (The screaming did wake a few of the neighbors that first time.) If asked, he will move, but generally just relocates himself to the coat closet, or once, somewhat notably the cupboard under the kitchen stove.

Shinnosuke tries to talk to him about it a couple times, but Chase is even more reticent on the subject than usual. Chase is adapting pretty well to human routines, but Shinnosuke theorizes that sometimes he retreats to what he’s most familiar with when he needs time to gather himself. No matter how Shinnosuke tries to make him feel welcome, the truth is that Chase has spent a significant portion of his life shut away from the world. Sometimes things just get to be too much and he needs some time to himself. So shinnosuke stops asking so many questions when he finds Chase folded up somewhere, and starts pressing warm mugs into Chase’s hands. It’s usually just hot water, since Chase can’t really enjoy coffee, but it seems to help center him. And if nothing else, Shinnosuke can’t help that he is human and offering a little human gesture of kindness with his friend makes him feel better too.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this several months back but kept delaying posting it because I couldn't decide on a title or other distractions.
> 
> Since I wrote it Chaser Saga and some other things have come out which actually suggest that Chase just hangs arround on the building roof - but anyway, it is what it is. XD


End file.
